Stuff

Devil in the detail

Did you ever notice how some annoyances are so miniscule that everyone would be ashamed to actually voice their disapproval over something so tiny? A problem arises when these little details are repeated through sufficiently large series of instances. Also, this is a blog. There is no shame in ranting. In fact, “the rant” is a defining characteristic of “the blog”.
Henceforth, let the following practices be knows as Highly Annoying Little Things (HALTs):

– Double-spaced formatted papers manuscripts (unsuited for print and quite ugly)
– Endnotes
– Endnotes grouped into sections each covering a part of the actual text (highly unacceptable, much worse than endnotes in themselves)
– Using the term “ethnography” as a label for über-eclectic/unfocused methodology slightly prioritizing qualitative techniques
– The fact that many do not quote original emails in their replies.
– Gmail showing emails as “conversations”.

What else?

Life-long learning

I did not appreciate the fact that the verb “nerf” (that is: the downgrading of a character class or object in an MMORPG) refers to a particular brand of US plastic/foam toys. I guess I learned something today.

Oh, the media…

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at a public library as part of the nicely idealistic “Day of research” (where researchers meet “the public”). I spoke about media panic, public perceptions of games and of games as media/art.
Business-oriented Danish daily newspaper Børsen was there covering the event. Let me quote one of the funnier captions in this Tuesday’s edition: [Below a portrait of yours truly, worthy of early German movie expressionism] “PhD student Jonas Heide Smith of the IT University has no problem with violent and crime-glorifying computer games like ‘Grand Theft Auto’ which is about stealing cars“.

The article itself has a few confusing points and a Jonas Heide Smith quote that initially made me sigh deeply: “Discussions about giving government support to computers is far more serious than it was five years ago”. Now, of course I said computer games, not computers. But on second thought, is it so outrageous? After all, the poor machines are slaving away day after day under our desks – are they not in fact entitled to government support? Where is the minister of equality in all this?

Considering the number of individuals entitled to government support in this country the thought is hardly outlandish. If Blade Runner had been made in this country, the big question would of course had been: If entities have memories and emotions, how can we then deny them government support?

Studies on player behaviour?

OK, here’s a small challenge.
I’m looking for studies of video game player behaviour. The gamers should preferably be physically together and the study should focus on their behaviour/interaction/communication.
In other words I’m interested in out-of-game (or around-game) behaviour and not in-game behaviour.

Any tips?

Distant sounds of…

Speaking of distant sounds, my semi-trusty laptop has just supplemented its usual ‘distant sound of autumn leaves caught in ventilation fan’ with a ‘distant sound of low-flying swans over placid summer lake’.
Those poor MAC users out there just don’t have those kinds of unexpected pleasures.